shattered illusions
by thatssupersketch
Summary: running away doesn't solve all your problems. (traught)


She always wondered what it could have been like.

Normality or leading a normal life was an abstract concept to Artemis. It was something she had dreamed about ever since she was little, but her illusion was demolished completely for the first time when her sister left.

Things weren't great before jade left, but everyone was still there. They were a family, traditional sense or not. When Jade left, Artemis did her best to pick up the shattered fragments of her dream and tape them up again.

Her dad 'took care' of her for a while, and it wasn't awful, just lonely. Not how a family was supposed to be. She would go to school and interact with other kids with only one parent home, and they treated their kids different.

Artemis wondered what was wrong with her.

Even when her mom got released from prison, the tension was constantly strained between the two of them. Although they had their moments, she could never have been able to expressly pick out a moment, point at it, and call it "family."

The dream got pushed the back to her mind and it was never something she had really considered, until now. Artemis had never really seen herself as the family type, but she supposed she could blame that on growing up with a lack thereof.

The team was a sort of family, but it was never what she craved. She did appreciate the purpose the team gave her, though. A sense of belonging had never called to her so strongly before. Artemis had never let anyone in like she did with her teammates, especially Robin.

Robin.

This returned Artemis to the situation at hand. If it weren't for him, she'd be perfectly happy remaining in her role as a hero on the team.

Robin had poked and prodded at her stiff armor until she finally relented and let him in. As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad he did. He was the best friend she'd ever had, probably the only one she'd ever had.

Robin was flirty with her, as he always was. Artemis wasn't sure if their dynamic had changed, however, when she began to grow legitimate feelings for the boy wonder. It wasn't something she was used to. Her dad discouraged any sort of affection between Artemis and the opposite sex. Or the same sex, for that matter. It was a "waste of time." After reassessing the situation now, Artemis would disagree.

If anything, liking him had only brought her to open up more to him; making it that much more seemingly impossible to let him go.

She had to let him go. He was the only thing holding her back on this team. Since things had changed, her focus had shifted. This error had nearly cost them the last mission, and she couldn't jeopardize the safety of her teammates. Her family. Artemis worried that leaving might tear her in half, but she figured it was for the good of the team. If there was anything she had learned in her years on the team, it was that the group came before the individual.

So that was what she had to do.

Artemis contemplated Mount Justice one last time, drunk in the familiar sight and breathed in the scent of the closest thing she had to home in a long time. Slinging her bag of essentials over her shoulder, she made her way with heavy steps to the zeta tube, and stole her last glance.

"Artemis, B zero 7," the justice league computer called before Artemis shot out of hearing. This was her last time using the zeta tube. If she was going to lay low and hide from the team, using the zeta tubes would only serve as a beacon, and that was the last thing she wanted.

It had taken her a while to figure out where she was going to disappear to, but she knew she couldn't go back to Gotham. Not only was that where her mother was, but Robin...she couldn't face running into him. He'd convince her to come back with a winning smile, and she would happily go back with him. Not trusting herself to be able to say no to him, she ruled out Gotham.

Central city was out, too. Wally lived there, and he had the annoying penchant of finding her when she would like nothing better than for him to go away.

Artemis finally decided on New York. She doubted the team would suspect she would stay that near to Happy Harbor, but it was a huge city, and gave her the chance to do what she'd been waiting for- disappear.

Well, not disappear, exactly. Just disappear off the team. Find an apartment, find a job. Maybe, if she were lucky, she would find a nice boy. It seemed impossible that she would be able to force the thought robin out of her head, but she would sure well try. She wasn't going to let the boy wonder dictate her life or her choices.

Artemis was going to make a life for herself on her own. As her dad always used to say, "Letting people in only destroys you." After leaving her team, her family behind-

She couldn't help but agree. 


End file.
